Want great wines at a vastly reduced price?
Then make it yourself under the watchful eyes of expert winemakers Mike Caldwell and Tom Radu.
The North Coast Wine Club, located in Solon, OH, was formed about 5 years ago when a group of friends got together to make wine. Some of the initial members had been making wine for many years and it quickly grew because others wanted to join in as well.
Many of the people they talked to about home wine making had a similar story: I used to make some wine, or my uncle made wine. Many of these stories ended the same: It didn’t turn out very good. Or, it was too much of a mess.
The club has been making some pretty good wines, having a ton of fun doing it, and has recently decided to open it up to whoever wants to join. In order to do so they acquired additional equipment and space, which will allow them to make wine on a grander scale. So now anyone who wants to join can make and label their own premium California wines — wines they will love to enjoy and share with others. There’s something special about putting sweat equity into the final product that makes the wine taste even better.
Members have access to a very good source of premium California grapes from Sonoma, Napa, and Lake counties, since it takes great grapes to make great wine. The grapes arrive within 4 days of being picked, have been cold stabilized before shipping, and are transported at 33 degrees F so they arrive in excellent condition.
Club members have done quite well at the Great Geauga County Fair over the last three years where they have won five 1st Place Blue Ribbons, three 2nd Place Red Ribbons, two 3rd Place Ribbons and (drum roll, please) one Best Of Show. The fair is coming up again at the end of August (Labor Day weekend) and members are looking forward to another good showing because the 2012 and 2013 harvests were very good years for California grapes.
The setup of the space the wine is made in makes it very easy for beginners, as well as for experienced winemakers, and Mike and Tom manage every aspect of the process down to the smallest detail.
In a typical year the verities include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Old Vine Zinfandel, Petite Sirah/Petite Verdot, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Riesling.
The club has a membership fee of $25 per year and members are able to adopt any of the wines as long as it’s not more than 100 gallons a year per Ohio law. So if you want to make $75 bottles of wine and only pay between $7 to $15 a bottle (depending on the grape), call Mike Caldwell at 440.3212908 and join the Solon Wine Club.